


Seashells and Skateboards

by Endraking



Series: Sceo/ Past, Present, and Future [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Back in the 4th grade, Body Horror, Flashback, Gen, Hurt Theo, Needles, Post Series, Scared Theo, Scott and Theo friendship, Tara is a great sister, Teen Wolf Gen Fest, Theo POV, Theo becoming a chimera, Theo is a brat, Theo is confused, Theo kills her anyway, Theo-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 15:19:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15488799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endraking/pseuds/Endraking
Summary: After visiting Deaton to receive a treatment, Theo passes out and relives the days that made him the chimera that came back to Beacon Hills.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If someone has issues with body horror and more descriptive surgery take heed before reading. This is my contribution for GenFest 2018 for Teen Wolf Legacy. I hope you enjoy Theo's descent and his friendship with Scott.

Seashells and Skateboards

 

 

Birds chirped in the distance, their songs floating on the cool breeze that blew in through the cracked driver’s side window of the truck.  His eyes were closed, not sleeping but not fully awake either, relaxed as best as he could in the backseat, the thin blanket pulled over his contorted legs and torso.  He took a deep breath, ignoring the turning and groan of his stomach.  He’d have to find something to eat today. 

He knew his defenses were down, fatigue, hunger, and dehydration weakened him but for this moment, things were peaceful.  Last night’s mission with Liam and the younger pack went well, another group of hunters disarmed and handed over to the Sheriff for incarceration in the human jail and eventual human prison.  No one looked kindly on grown men and women trying to harm and planning to murder children, even if they were supernatural.

Theo mused lightly that maybe that was why the local deputies stopped bothering him.  His face had appeared just enough times at the precinct and stopped just enough horrible things from happening that their attentive eyes turned blind.  That was another reason he was surprised by the knock at his window, the sniffles from general bodily weakness didn’t catch the scent until his eyes opened and he saw the man.

Deaton gave a gentle, welcoming smile, though his black tactical outfit sent an entirely different message, “Theodore.  I would like you to come to the clinic.”

The chimera groaned as he pulled himself up, his joints popping loudly as he shifted.  He twisted his neck to release yet another pop and the tension as he yawned through his reply, “Why?  Are there more hunters?”

The vet shook his head, “Nothing like that, Theodore.  I want to run a few tests so that I may make notes and reference the Dread Doctor’s research with regards to your condition.”

Theo snorted as he climbed into the front seat, his smirk growing, “Of course.  My unfortunate condition of being alive.  I can see why that would be important for me to deal with today.”

The vet took a deep breath and his face shifted neutral as he replied calmly, “No, Theodore.  I am concerned about their mention of treatments to maintain stability.”

Theo rolled his eyes as he looked away and Deaton added, “I understand that this is an inconvenience, so I am willing to pay you for your time.”

Theo blinked a few times, his thoughts resting on the words, “Willing to pay you for your time.”  He couldn’t help but realize the only thing emptier than his stomach was his wallet.  With his usual bravado, Theo smugly replied, “Then you should know I’m not cheap.”  He faced the vet and grinned. 

Deaton nodded, “I assure you, that won’t be a problem.  I will meet you there then?”

Theo slipped the key into the ignition and turned the engine over.  It choked at first but rumbled to life.  He glanced back to Deaton, “I’ll see you there.”

The vet stepped away from the truck as Theo drove out of the parking lot.

 

Theo parked in the lot behind the metal building and waited for the vet to arrive.  It wasn’t long before the back door opened, and Deaton waved to the chimera to come in.

Theo stepped out of his truck and walked into the open door, letting it close behind him.  He looked to the examination table and saw a large cardboard box filled with brown bags and two cases of water next to it.  Theo raised an eyebrow as Deaton disappeared into the back and asked, “What’s this?”

He walked to the boxes and smelled the sandwiches and saw the cans of fruit, single sized containers of peas and beans, and the potato chips.  Deaton answered, “I was hoping that you could do me a favor and drop those off for the lacrosse team before their away game.  It would be a _shame_ if they had to order pizza again.”

Theo huffed as he eyed the food and his stomach grumbled, “I-I could- “

Deaton continued as he stepped into the examination room, “I will pay for gas, so you don’t have to pay anything out of pocket.”  The vet held out his hand, several bills cupped, and Theo shook his hand and quickly pocketed the money. 

Theo loaded the water into the back of his truck and left the box near the door, to grab on his way out. When he returned, there was a text from the Dread Doctors open on the table next to some medical supplies and Deaton held a syringe with a green solution.  Theo’s eyes widened at the needle, “Are needles really necessary Deaton?”

The vet turned to face Theo and saw the flash of fear.  He replied, “Yes, Theo.  The Dread Doctors made certain your body would require an infusion of amino acids and enzymes.  After this shot though, I should be able to create an oral medication so that future shots wouldn’t be necessary.”

Theo sidestepped further into the room, his eyes locked with the needle, “But they never injected me with that.”

Deaton quickly replied, “To your knowledge.  They took meticulous notes about it and the effects on your body when you were deficient.  Such as shortly before you left the last operational theater.”

Theo sighed as he thought back to the fatigue and the cold that settled in his bones at the last operational theater before moving back to Beacon Hills.  He thought it had to do with the climate, but the emissary’s words made sense.

The chimera hesitated as he closed the distance and rolled up the sleeve on his left arm.  He glanced away as he heard the needle being set down on the metal table.  He slowly shifted his head as Deaton held out his hand.  A small string of tiny crushed shells that once could’ve been a bracelet hung from his fingertips.  The emissary asked, “This was yours I take it?”

Theo eyed the fragile cracked white shells and slowly raised his right hand to grab them, the memories seeping back painfully as his hand shook.  When he barely touched them, he whispered, his voice fraught with fatigue and unable to place the mask, “W-Where did you find it?”

Deaton cupped Theo’s hand and dropped the shells in it before he reached for the alcohol wipe.  He replied as he tore the single use packaging open and cleaned the skin of Theo’s upper arm, “I found it in the dark empty room that I assumed was where you stayed when they monitored or experimented on you.”

Theo lowered his head as he squeezed the sharp edges of the shells against his hand.  He lowly spoke, “I thought I lost it.  Thanks.”

Deaton checked the needle before he positioned himself ready to inject, “I’m not surprised.  The notes listed that you were delirious.  They placed the period of time between injections close to six months and at that point you were in month 9.”

Theo furrowed his brow and looked to Deaton as the emissary quietly injected the solution, “But it’s been longer than that and I feel fine.”

The emissary removed the needle and quickly placed a pad of gauze at the injection site, “Maybe being held offset things or maybe there was something in your diet, but I am certain that you are feeling the negatives.”

Theo huffed as he brushed away the gauze and lowered his sleeve.  He asked, his voice strained, “Is there something else you wanted from me?”

Deaton motioned for Theo to step towards his office, “I want you to take a rest for a moment so that I can make sure you don’t have any adverse reactions.”

Theo rolled his eyes and made it two steps before his vision became hazy and by the third footfall, he slipped into darkness.

 

 

The faint rhythm of the slow-moving creek.  The wind rustling through the trees.  The deep darkness engulfing the forest and only held back around the creek with the slender light of the moon.  The scent.  Peppermint.

 

Young Theo threw the door open, his mane of sweaty hair plastered to his head, the little league uniform dusty with green grass stains on his knees.  He kicked off his shoes, putting them in the hanging shoe rack before he darted up the steps.  His father shouted for him to stop running in the house before he made it to his room and threw himself on the bed.

He huffed as the anger from the tryouts and practice got to him.  Tara leaned her head into his room, her long dark hair hanging freely, the scent of peppermint flowing into the room, “Hey T-mon, you shook a picture off my wall when you plopped on your bed.”

Theo pushed his bangs from his face as he whipped his head around, “Then put it back on your wall, Tara.”

She slowly eased into his room and asked softly, “It’s okay if you didn’t make the team.  You’re still our shortstop.”

Theo huffed at his sister, “I made the team.  _Dad_ made sure of that.”  The small boy crawled up the comparatively larger full-sized bed and plopped his face against his pillows. 

Tara walked to his desk and pulled the rolling chair away and sat next to the bed.  She continued, her voice laced with concern, “Alright, T-mon.  Help me understand.  You made the team and Dad did something sketch, and you are mad?”

The boy didn’t realize he’d teared up and when he pulled away from his pillow and looked to his sister, he could tell she noticed.  He took a deep breath before he spat as the tear fell, “I wanted to be on the team because Scott was going to be on the team.  We were the last two and only one of us could play so _Dad_ bribed the coach.  Now Scott isn’t going to play, and he really wanted to play, and I didn’t so now my best friend has to sit out and I’m stuck playing a game I don’t even care about.” 

A small smile graced Tara’s face as she reached out and rubbed her brother’s back, “I’m sorry dad did that T-mon.  Have you asked the coach if Scott could take your place?”

Theo argued, the heat still high, “Of course I did!  Dad stopped me and said that I was going to play whether I liked it or not.  And now I have to play outfield with _Stiles_ and he hates me.  During practice he kept tripping me as I tried to catch the ball.  He’s mad that I took Scott’s place.  And Scott probably hates me too now since he doesn’t get to be on the team.”

Tara pulled her hand back and whispered, “I’m sorry Theomon.  I doubt Scott hates you and if you want, I can take you to see him after dinner.  Maybe watch you two skateboard in the park?”

Theo dropped his face back into the pillow and mumbled, “Scott probably doesn’t even want to see me.”

Tara shook her head and stood up, walking towards the door, “Alright, shortstop.  If you change your mind, let me know.”

Theo barely whispered, “okay.”

 

After dinner, Theo snuck out of the house and rode his skateboard to Scott’s home.  He sighed when he reached the driveway and noticed that neither car was parked.  He took a puff from his inhaler after he stopped himself at the mailbox.  He carried his board to the front door and knocked.  Almost immediately he heard the loud stomps of feet barreling down the stairs followed by the scurry of tiny claws.  When the door opened, he was greeted with the largest puppy smile from the tanned youth with a thick mop of dark hair.  Roxie barked at Theo from behind Scott’s legs. 

Theo tilted his eyes up slightly, Scott being noticeably taller since the growth spurt over the last summer.  Theo weakly smiled before he said, “Hey, Scotty, um, I just wanted to, um, apologize for my dad.”

Scott pulled Theo inside and chuckled before he replied, “Dude, I don’t care about that.  I only tried out because Stiles wanted me to be on the team with him.”

Theo almost jumped as he set his board close to the front door, gave Roxie a few scratches behind the ears and followed Scott into the living room, “What?  Really?!?!  I’m glad.  I thought you might be pissed at me.”

Scott turned to face Theo as he stood in front of the grey couch, “Why would I be mad?  You’re my best friend!”

Theo knew his eyes lit up at the comment and he said, “But Stiles?”

A loud, higher pitched voice boomed from upstairs, “What about Stiles?”

Theo and Scott stepped to the stairs and saw the lanky, pale boy standing at the top of the stairs in a full batman costume, cowl pulled over his head.  He groaned and rolled his eyes before he muttered, “Oh, Theo’s here.  Great.  I wonder if your dad knows, Scott.”

Scott stumbled over his words, “Well, no, but, Theo can visit.  And my dad should be back from whatever at the office soon.”

Stiles tutted as he confidently walked down the stairs, “Your dad said you could have A friend over, not friends over.  And since I’m _your_ best friend, that friend is me!”

Theo twisted his face at Stiles’ comment before he looked to Scott and pleaded, “Is that true?”

Scott’s eyes widened as he looked from Stiles to Theo, back to Stiles then finally landing on Theo, “Well.  I mean.  Dad did say one friend over.  But.  Maybe- “

Theo huffed and walked towards the door and snatched up his board, “Whatever.  Have fun.  I’m going to find a place to board.”

Scott reached for Theo as the boy opened the door and Stiles yelled, “Later Theo.  Maybe you can actually catch a ball next practice!”

Theo slammed the door as he stormed off, away from Scott’s house.  He knew Stiles hated him, knew Stiles didn’t want him to be friends with Scott.  He hopped on his board and rode, anger pushing through his veins.

 

He tried to work on his tricks at the entrance to the water treatment facility.  He managed to grind the pipes well and kept circling by the incline he used as a ramp.  Night fell, and the lights of the facility illuminated the area just enough for him to continue practicing. 

On what had to be the millionth try, he pushed off and sped towards the incline.  He crouched low and hit the air fast.  He managed to kick off the board and spin it 360 degrees under him and land safely on it before he made contact with the ground.  The preteen didn’t notice he was being watched until he heard the shout and loud clapping from near the entrance to the facility.

Scott yelled, “That was awesome, Theo!  You’ve got to teach me that!”

Theo stepped off his board and heel stomped on the back of the board as he sent it up into his arms.  He looked back to Scott and smirked, “Shouldn’t you be hanging out with your bestest friend Stiles?”

Scott shook his head as he walked towards the boy, “Stiles left my house hours ago.  I’m out here looking for you because your parents are worried.”

Theo rolled his eyes, “My parents aren’t worried.  They just want me to be where they want me when they want me.  I’m perfectly fine here.”

Scott argued softly, “Dude, they care about you.  And Tara does too.”

Theo channeled some of the anger back, “Tara doesn’t care.  She’s always getting me in trouble.  She’s just as bad as they are.  I just want some freedom.  I just want to do some things that I want to do.”

Scott nervously looked around before he weakly said, “Well, I care about you.”

Theo snorted as he brushed the hair away from his face, “I’m not Stiles.”

Scott sighed as Theo set the board down and rode back towards the incline.  As he gained speed, Scott said, “I know you aren’t Stiles, but I can have more than one best friend.  It’s not like there are rules that say I can’t.”

Theo chuckled as he hit the ramp and tried the trick again, only for the board to get away from him as he tumbled to the pavement.  His left shoulder hit hard, and he rolled to a stop.  The back of his head felt sore and he could feel the fresh scrapes on the side of his arms and shins.  As he blinked himself back to the right state of mind, Scott rushed over.

The tanned youth grabbed his hand and asked, “Are you alright?”

With tears in his eyes that he was too proud to shed he pulled himself up and sarcastically replied, “I’m great Scott.  That fall really did wonders for me.”

Scott helped him to his feet and Theo felt his left ankle give from the landing.  Without asking, Scott pulled Theo’s arm over his shoulder and carried him to gather up the rolling board.  After having the board in hand, Scott helped him walk to one of the concrete walls and sat Theo against it.  Theo groaned against the pain and Scott quickly removed his wide, low top, black, skater shoe and pulled off the beaten up, white sock. 

Theo asked, “What are you doing?”

Scott beamed a smile, “My mom’s a nurse.  I’ve seen her do this before.” 

Scott felt the swelling tissue around Theo’s ankle and rotated his foot as Theo hissed from the pain.  Theo exclaimed, “Does it always hurt we she does it?”

Scott laughed as he nodded, “Yeah.  It doesn’t feel broken.  You might’ve just sprained it.”

Theo softly smiled as he watched Scott’s hands manipulate his foot.  The tiny band of white shells around the boy’s wrist caught his eye.  “What’s that?  I didn’t know you wore a bracelet?”

Scott sheepishly smiled, “Yeah.  My dad got it for me when we went to Marshall’s Beach.  I thought it looked cool.”

Theo’s eyes widened as he agreed, “It does.”

Scott slid it off his wrist and handed it to Theo, “Then you should have it.”

Theo shook his head, “I can’t take it Scott.  I don’t have anything to give you.”

Scott continue, “No, Theo, I want you to have it!”

Theo felt his face warm as he took the bracelet and put it on.  He stared at it for a moment before he looked back to Scott and met the gaze of those chocolate eyes.  After a moment too long he stuttered, “My b-board.”

Scott looked to the board with a raised brow, “What about your board?”

Theo bit his lip before he spoke, the words flying out of his mouth, “I want you to have it.”

Scott shook his head, “No way dude.  This is your board.  You love it.”

Theo nodded once emphatically, “And your board sucks.  So you should have mine!  I can’t teach you how to kickflip on your board.”

Scott nervously chuckled, “Okay.  But only until you teach me how to kickflip.”

Theo smugly grinned, “Then that board is yours forever.”

Scott slugged the boy’s arm, “Not funny, Theomon.”

Scott and Theo laughed as Tara stepped towards them, her boot heels clicking against the pavement.  She eyed Theo and smirked, “How did I know that if I followed Scott, I would find you, Shortstop.”

Scott chuckled at the comment and Theo shot her a glare, “I was skateboarding.”

Tara shifted her weight and placed a hand on her hip, “Well mom and dad are pissed.  It’s late and you’re still out.  And somewhere you aren’t supposed to be.”

Theo pulled himself to his feet and weakly placed pressure on his ankle with a grimace.  Tara quickly added, her eyes wide, “And you hurt yourself.  I hope you didn’t plan on seeing the light of day besides school any time soon.”

Theo stepped towards his sister, Scott carrying the board and Theo’s shoes and sock.  Theo smirked, “If you tell dad that you were watching us then I won’t get in trouble.”

Tara laughed as she turned around and walked towards her car, “Not a chance, short stack.  I’m supposed to be hanging out with my friends, but I had to come find you even after I offered to watch you and Scott skateboard.”

Theo hurried his limp as he caught up to Tara, “Come on.  I already pissed off dad once today.”

Tara giggled as she remarked, “And you’re about to do it again.”

Theo huffed as he climbed into the passenger seat and Tara looked to Scott, “Thanks Scotty.  Let me give you a ride home too.”

Scott smiled as he climbed into the white sedan as they left.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Theo heard the argument downstairs after he was sent to his room.  Grounded.  Until otherwise specified.  No Skateboarding.  No Little League.  No hanging out with friends.  Just school and home.

He buried his face in his pillows, his ankle still throbbing as he listened.  His father yelled, “This is what I’m talking about.  You are too lenient on him.  He needs discipline!”

His mother argued back, “He has discipline.  Remember when you were his age?”

His father argued, “I remember.  I wasn’t this disobedient.  I wasn’t making up ridiculous stories about Boogie men in my closet.  He’s in the fourth grade!  I’m telling you, it’s that McCall kid and the Sheriff’s son.”

“Those are his friends.  His only friends.  They aren’t bad kids.”

Jonathan yelled, “I knew we should’ve transferred him to the Academy.  Or a boarding school.  He is not going back this fall.”

His mother retorted, “We didn’t send Tara to a boarding school and she’s doing well.”

His father continued, “Because Tara knows how to listen!  Tara is our good child!”

 

Theo hiccupped silently as he buried his face in the pillows, pulling the edges over his ears.  He thought about being sent to Devenford Academy or to some boarding school.  He felt the bracelet rub against his arm, the slight edge of the shells pushing against his skin.  He didn’t want to leave.  He liked it here.  He didn’t want to leave Scott.  Arguably his only real friend.  The move to Beacon Hills had been bad enough, years ago, but the idea of still being there but not in the familiar school he knew with the people he recognized turned his stomach.

He felt the shift in the room, caught the scent of ozone and the pressure change.  He rolled over just as the metal men appeared.  He looked up into the eye holes of the figure with the lifted monocle.  His voice quivered as he spoke, “Y-y-you’re back.”

The three dark metallic figures shifted and looked to one another.  Their words echoed in his mind.

“Theo Raeken”

“He remembers”

“He could be the one.”

Theo slowly sat up and looked at the three, a bit of anger entering his voice, “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!”

The figure with the rounded mask leaned towards him, a syringe in their hand.  Theo scurried backwards on the bed, kicking his legs violently.  He called out, “Mom!  Dad!  Tara!” as the fierce grip of the figure with the snaking gas mask grabbed his wounded ankle.  He screamed out in pain as the figures pulled him across the bed and injected the needle into the left side of his neck.  His vision went dark as the door to his room opened.

 

His eyes adjusted to the darkness, the cold metal table sent chills down his spine as a wave of goosebumps travelled across his chest.  He struggled to pull himself up, but his wrists were strapped tightly to the table, the leather refusing to give an inch.  He painfully lifted his head, chin to his bare chest as he looked around the room.  Odd lights illuminated containers of bubbling green fluid.  The walls appeared distant and the table was long, his body ending several feet shorter than the straps towards the bottom.  The room carried that scent, their scent, a mixture of stale meat and electrical burns.

A light sweat began to cover his body as his pulse skyrocketed.  The metal men had him.  He took a few deep breaths as he closed his eyes and whispered, “It’s just a dream.  They aren’t real.”

The measured steps of heavy boots connecting with the metal grates pulled him away from his thoughts.  The metal man with the monocle stepped into view but he felt the presence of the others, just outside of sight.  The man reached over his head and turned on a large, rounded, overhead light.  The harsh brightness caused him to flinch as the metal tips grazed over his naked chest.  The sound of gears moving bouncing around in his skull.

The man spoke, “Theo Raeken.  Do you remember?”

Theo took a deep breath before he whimpered, “Please don’t hurt me again.”

The Surgeon leaned in closer the monocle flipping over the glass eye hole, “Do you remember?”

Theo’s chest tightened, and he struggled to move his arms.  He tried to breathe but his body fought him as he whistled and weakly sucked in air.  He struggled to shift his waist high enough to grab the inhaler in his pocket, his eyes wide.

The Surgeon leaned back and walked towards a far shelf.  Theo’s fingertips glanced the edge of his pocket as he twisted his waist painfully.  When his limbs slacked from the pressure, his eyes fell on the Surgeon walking back, holding a large syringe filled with a milky green fluid.  He couldn’t control his muscles clenching and relaxing as he shook with fear.  He felt the warmth and moisture gather in his pants as the man penetrated his neck with the needle.

When the man withdrew the needle, the pressure on Theo’s chest disappeared and he audibly sucked in a deep breath.  He muttered, “You’re a doctor?”

He heard an interesting set of noises from the figures, something dark, foreign, but oddly like laughter.  The Surgeon answered, “We are the Dread Doctors.”

The young boy mouthed the words, “Dread Doctors?” 

The disembodies voice from one of the figures still in the shadow replied, “If you believe in such a small idea of a name.”

The cooling liquid soaking his pants sent a wave of anger and embarrassment through him and he called out, “What do you want from me?”

The Surgeon set the needle down on one of the metal stands that was pushed near the wall.  He walked back and looked over Theo’s body, “How many times have you seen us?”

Theo narrowed his eyes, the fear overwhelmed by his adrenaline and focused through his rage, “How many?  Every time.  I saw you walk into my sister’s room.  I know you’ve been to mine three times now.  I’ve told people about you!  My parents!”

He heard the Pathologist speak, “Theodore Raeken remembers.  Frequency failure.”

The Geneticist answered, “No.  Theo Raeken’s bioelectric signature is suitable.”

The Pathologist argued, “Theo Raeken possesses only one set of DNA.”

The Geneticist continued, “Tara Raeken’s bioelectric signature is suitable.  Transfer rate survival within acceptable deviance.”

The Surgeon leaned closer to Theo’s face and spoke, his voice seeming to fill the boy’s head, “We want you Theo.”

Theo gasped as the metal man released the straps on his wrists and stepped back for him to get down from the examination table.  When Theo’s feet hit the grating, he looked up at the Surgeon, who towered over him, “Why me?  What do I get?”

The Surgeon answered as he stepped back into the side room, where the other Dread Doctors were, “Because of who you are.  Because of what you are.”

Theo repeated in frustration as he followed the metal man, “What do I get out of it?  Huh?”

The Geneticist answered, “A new life.”

Theo stopped as they walked further into the Theater.  He whispered, “What do I need to do for this new life?”

The disembodied words echoed in his head, “Kill Tara Raeken.”

 

The words floated in his head throughout the week.  Why would the Doctors want him to kill his sister?  He loved his sister.  He couldn’t kill her. 

He didn’t feel the anger he felt before.  He felt complacently numb.  School seemed to be nothing but a haze of faces and work, but his mind was able to focus on the individual tasks well.  He didn’t spend time with his friends at school, choosing to eat alone at lunch, those words still in his head.  He also noticed that his chest didn’t tighten like it used to and maybe the Doctors had something to do with that.  The weeks passed and their visits and injections almost became routine.  So were the times he stayed at the theater.  He realized that next to no one noticed when he was gone for a day or two.

Tara became a problem though.  What once were the looks of love or annoyance carried a different impression.  It culminated with Tara throwing open his door on a Friday night, shortly after their parents went on their weekly date.

Theo sat at his computer desk, eyes on the screen, reading a digital copy of “Hatchet”.  Tara spoke her voice shaking slightly, “Hey, Theo.  Mom and Dad left for their date.  They should be gone for at least a couple of hours.  I’m surprised you haven’t snuck out to hang out with your friends.”

Theo continued to stare at the screen as he replied his voice dull and distant, “My friends.  Yeah.  I’m grounded.  I want to make Mom and Dad proud, so I started reading the next book for my class.”  After a brief pause he comments, “The pain and movements.  This is descriptive for a heart attack.”

Tara took another step into the room and commented in disbelief, “You don’t want to sneak out to see your friends?  You’d rather read for school?”

Theo nodded as he continued to read, “The control panels for a plane must be elaborate.  I wonder if I could ask _them_ about it.”

Tara nervously chuckled as she continued, “You know, T-Mon, I could drive you to see Scott.  He would love to geek out over Digimon cards with you.”

Theo slowly turned in his chair and faced Tara.  She gasped as he coldly replied, “But that would disappoint our parents.  I don’t want to disappoint our parents.”

The teenage girl rubbed the back of her neck as she asked, “How many times have they visited you?”

Theo cracked a smirk and turned back to face the computer, “I don’t know what you mean, Tara.”

Tara stepped to the back of his chair and asked, “Talk to me Theo.  I know things aren’t right.  I know you see them because I can hear you talking to them.  No one else notices them or remembers.  What are they doing to you?”

Theo slid out of the chair and walked over to his bed.  After hopping on to the bed he looked to Tara, “They aren’t doing anything.  You should forget about them.”

The nervousness broke and Tara’s voice raised as she pleaded, ‘Theo.  I know they are taking you for days, but no one seems to notice that you are gone.  Our parents and your teachers show me your empty bed and seats saying you are there, but I know you aren’t.  I’ve seen the needles, the instruments.  We need to get you somewhere safe.  Somewhere away from them.”

She sighed, and he noticed the frustration grow on her face as he answered, “I am safe, Tara.  We are safe.  The Doctors like us.”

Tara shook her head before she grabbed Theo’s wrist and pulled him towards their shared bathroom.  She flicked on the light and tilted his head so that he could see the side of his neck.  He almost gagged at the strength of her peppermint body spray as he looked to the mirror and saw where she pointed.  A blossom of purple, blue, and black with a tiny circular center of red.  She demanded, “What is this Theo?  Why are they doing this to you?  What do they want?”

The numbness faded briefly as a spark of something else grew.  Theo curled his lip into a savage grin as he replied, “The Doctors help me, Tara.  The Doctors want a new life for me Tara.  The Doctors want your life Tara.”

Tara staggered at the statement and her mouth quivered as the fear laced her words, “They want to hurt me?”

Theo repeated coldly, “They want your life Tara.”

 

 

He felt off, the cold emptiness inside but he also felt like he belonged somewhere.  Theo walked through the tunnels, not missing a single step as he made his way to the theater, on his own.  He knew the crank and spun it, the walls giving way and the theater opening.  As he made it down the steps, he heard screams.  A person.  Some girl.  She made a gurgling squeal before he heard nothing.  He made it into the operating room and looked at the examination table.  He looked to the Surgeon and asked, “What’s wrong with her?”

The Pathologist and Geneticist stood on the far side of the table watching the girl and the monitor while the Surgeon held a bloody scalpel.  The girl’s torso was cut open and her entrails exposed.  Her eyes were open, vacant, staring at the ceiling, a silent scream locked on her face.  Silver fluid lined the side of her face and a mixture of blood and silver flowed from the open wound.

The Geneticist stated, “Cardiac Arrest.”

The Pathologist stated, “Mixture ineffective.  Consider adjustment.”

The Surgeon picked up an empty syringe from the metal tray close to the top of the table and walked to the tube that bubbled green with the floating figure of a man.  Theo watched intently as The Surgeon drew fluid from the tube and filled the syringe.  He walked back to the girl and injected her with the solution in her neck.  Within a moment, she gasped and continued to scream, “Please, no!  Help me.”

Her head turned to Theo and he watched the Surgeon continue as the monitor lit up.  The Pathologist stated, “Resurrection success.”

The Geneticist followed, “Compound successful.  Subject viable for harvest.  Continue to create chimera.”

Theo whispered, “Chimera?”

The Surgeon took the scalpel and severed the girl’s jugular vein and windpipe.  She gasped as the monitor flashed briefly for a moment before the Geneticist stated, “Subject deceased.  Begin restoration.”

The Surgeon looked to Theo and the young boy knew he should feel fear, but the emotional reaction didn’t happen.  He looked into the Surgeon’s eye holes as the Dread Doctor stated, “Theo Raeken.  Status?”

Theo narrowed his eyes slightly, the words coming to mind, “My sister.  Why should I kill my sister?  So you can bring her back?”

The Surgeon repeated, “Theo Raeken.  Kill Tara Raeken.”

Theo asked, “Why?  What does it prove?  Why do you want to kill her and bring her back?”

The Geneticist turned and looked at Theo, “Theo Raeken.  Failure.”

Theo felt the spark of anger as he faced the Dread Doctor, “I’m not a failure!”

The Pathologist repeated, “Theo Raeken.  Failure.”

The young boy felt a surge of anger unlike anything he felt before and yelled, his voice sounding harsher and deeper, “I AM NOT A FAILURE!”

The Surgeon addressed Theo, “Theo Raeken.  Hidden.  Theo Raeken.  Acceptable.”

“Acceptable.”  A simple word.  A few syllables but the idea that this Doctor, this metal man that stopped his asthma attack with an injection, this magical disappearing man that appeared to him regularly, that gave him medicine to make him better and wanted to give him a new life thought he was acceptable caused a feeling of happiness to bloom in his chest.

Theo mouthed the word, “Acceptable.”

This room smelled weird.  The people on the tables that he’d seen look scared, but they didn’t look any different than the scary movies he’d seen.  These imaginary Doctors were his Doctors.  He knew now why he couldn’t fail them.

The Pathologist’s words broke him from his reverie, “Theo Raeken.  Leave.”

Theo nodded his head and felt a familiar warmth and pain on the left side of his neck.  He looked to the Surgeon and realized the Doctor held an empty syringe, the faintest bit of blood traveling down the needle. 

He walked back towards the entrance as a jar caught his eye.  The clear gel inside with a square paper label in writing he didn’t understand.  He knew what was in this jar.  He’d seen the doctors inject people with it to keep them quiet.  He had an idea as he grabbed the jar and pocketed it.

With a grin on his face, Theo left the theater.

 

 

The Doctors stopped visiting.  Theo knew he must’ve angered them.  He looked to the jar on his computer desk, the gel that he swiped.  They must’ve known.  He thought he could find them, return it but his mind fogged whenever he tried to remember where they were.  Something must’ve happened.  His mother called out, “Theo.  It’s time for school.”

He grabbed the jar and shoved it into his backpack before he ran downstairs to go to school.

During PE he felt his rage and anger return.  He was playing dodgeball and Stiles kept aiming to hit him.  This was normal.  He was good at dodging the red rubber ball and when he got the chance, he threw one back at Stiles.  The taller, spry youth dodged as the ball flew with an intense force towards his torso and managed to hit another boy, Danny, in the face as the boy went to pick up a loose ball.  Theo’s eyes widened as the resounding thud echoed through the gymnasium, the ball ricocheted across the courts and continued to bounce while Danny fell to the slick floor hard, a stream of blood flowing from the boy’s nose. 

He struggled to catch his breath, his chest tightening, like it did before the Doctors appeared.  The Coach rushed over to Danny while Theo clutched his chest and gasped, collapsing to his knees.  Stiles sauntered over and stated, “Get up, Theo!  Danny is the one that got hurt, not you.”

Theo narrowed his eyes as he looked up to Stiles, still struggling to catch a breath.  Theo reached into the pocket of his gym clothes and took out his inhaler.  He quickly brought it to his lips and tried to take a puff.  Only the faintest amount came out, just enough for him to wheeze loudly.

The Coach looked to Theo as the boy struggled to catch his breath and yelled, “Someone.  Take Theo to the Nurse’s office!”

Theo felt the hand pull him up before he realized that Scott was the one pulling him to his feet.  He heard Stiles groan, “Scott.  Don’t do it.”

They walked towards the Nurse’s office and Scott handed Theo his inhaler.  Theo took a puff, but his chest continued to tighten.  Theo shook his head and Scott said, “I’ve got you, Theo.  This is going to be alright.”

They sat at the chairs outside of the Nurse’s office while the school nurse called the EMTs and Theo’s parents.  Scott rubbed the top of his back and explained, “It’s okay, Theo.  I’ve been to the hospital for this before.  My mom is a nurse there.  They lay you down and put a mask over your face.  It’s going to help with the pressure.”

Theo nodded, his brows furrowing at Scott’s words.  He knew how to fix this.  The Doctors could help him.  He wondered where they were.  They’ve seen him at school before.  They should be here now.  He felt himself tear up, the anger moving to his face as he struggled to breathe.  Scott continued, the pressure on his back increasing, “Hey, Theo.  It’s alright.  They will probably just give you an injection and it’ll open your lungs right up.”

Injection.  That’s what he needed.  He looked to Scott and tried to weakly smile.  Scott beamed a thousand-watt smile and said, “And when you are feeling better, you can finally teach me how to do that kickflip.”  The tanned youth continued to rub his back and it wasn’t long before the EMTs arrived.

 

 

Theo laid in the hospital bed for observation.  The injection did the trick, but these doctors were different.  They asked him questions about things when he couldn’t answer.  He could only shake and nod his head and their questions didn’t make a lot of sense.  Scott was right though, his mother worked as a nurse and she oversaw him.

Melissa smiled when she checked his vitals and spoke to him.  She asked questions too.  “Theo, do you have to take medication?”  “Theo, are you feeling alright?”  “Theo, what happened at school?” 

He couldn’t answer them besides twisting his head and groaning.  The good medicine from the Doctors wasn’t working like it used to and he felt nauseous.  He cried.  Not that he meant to but while Melissa spoke, a couple of tears rolled down his face.  She looked into his eyes with a light and made weird expressions.  Then she drew a vial of blood and left.  It was weird.  His dad would be pissed.  Baby Theo Raeken cried.

Theo overheard his dad and Melissa arguing.  This is why he hated hospitals.  His dad always yelled at hospitals.

Melissa spoke loudly, “I’m asking you Jonathan, is your son on medications that we don’t know about?”

Jonathan yelled in response, “What are you accusing me of?  You think I’m drugging my son!?!?”

Melissa replied, her voice calm and controlled, “Your son is under the influence of something.  We don’t know yet.”

Jonathan continued to spew his anger, “That sounds an awful lot like an accusation, Melissa!  How do we know it wasn’t something your son gave Theo?”

Melissa sighed and spoke softer, but her tone serrated, “Jonathan.  I’m only going to let that slide because you are upset that your son is in the hospital.  Theo’s blood work is on the way to the lab- “

Jonathan managed to yell louder, “Cancel it then.  He’s fine!  I’m not paying this hospital one more cent than I have to.”

He heard the movements of someone walking away and his mother quietly comment, “Jon, she’s concerned about our son.”

His father’s voice was a bit calmer but boomed, “ _She_ just wants to pad the bill while calling us unfit parents.”  He took a deep breath, “Over an asthma attack!”

His mother replied, “Jonathan, please calm down.  The entire hospital can hear us.”

He heard the shuffle of feet before his father commented in a calm tone, “I’m sorry.  It’s just so much.  Theo was doing so great but now drugs maybe.  I mean he’s in the fourth grade!  Then Tara has just spiraled since the beginning of this year.  I don’t think Beacon Hills is good for either of them.”

His mother asked, “You aren’t thinking about sending them to the Academy, are you?”

His father confirmed, “Either Devenford or a boarding school.  I should see if I can find a different opening with the agency too.  Maybe a move would be good.”

Theo swallowed difficultly as he nervously grabbed his wrist, his fingertips grazing the shells, rubbing their edges without thinking about it.  His thoughts rushed, “A New Life.”

 

 

Theo stared at the jar of fluid that he moved back to his desk.  The Doctors hadn’t returned.  Maybe they didn’t care about the jar but Tara.  He couldn’t kill Tara.  Sure, she was annoying.  Sure, she was constantly watching him now, but she was still his sister.  He stared at the fluid and thought as evening turned to night.  When he heard her step down the stairs, he still racked his brain about why they hadn’t come back.

He was trying to be good, like the good medicine helped him become.  He hadn’t spent time with Scott since the Nurse’s office, even though it nagged at him.  What did they want?

Jonathan loudly spoke from the living room downstairs, “Tara, we’ve been over this.  No one is outside.  No one is watching the house.”

Tara pleaded, a bit of fear in her voice, “I know what I saw dad.  Please, just call someone, call the police and have them check it out.”

Jonathan argued back, “You’ve always got something to say, Tara.  Maybe you should listen, like Theo, and keep your mouth shut.”

She continued, “But, Dad- “

He ordered, “Go to your room!”

Theo heard the heavy foot falls as Tara stormed to her room and slammed the door.  He opened the door to their shared bathroom and heard the quiet sobs.  Tara was scared.  He knew she should be and he was scared for her.  His eyes lit up as the idea from the theater returned. 

Tara talked about the Doctors.  The Doctors don’t like it when people talk about them.  That’s why he grabbed the jar in the first place.  The Doctors used it to keep people quiet when they were being too loud.  He’d seen people scream but shortly after the Doctors used the gel, they became quiet.  He just needed to give some to Tara.

Theo shuffled back into his room and grabbed the jar.  He took it to their bathroom and listened to his sister cry.  That’s how he’d do it.  That’s how he’d protect her.  He knew not to give her too much, just a dab would work but he couldn’t just feed it to her.  His eyes looked over her side of the bathroom counter space and he saw her peppermint lip balm.  He grinned as he opened the jar and popped the top cap to the tube.  He dipped it carefully into the gel and let it drip off before he put the cap back on the tube.  He quickly sealed the jar and took it back to his desk.

Theo walked to the door to Tara’s entrance to the bathroom and lightly tapped.  He heard his sister shuffle around before she cracked the door.  He looked up at her and saw how puffy and red her cheeks were.  She had dark rings under her eyes and her lower lip quivered as she asked, “Theo, what is it?”

He nervously looked to the floor, “Tara.  I believe you.”  He waited a few moments before he looked up and saw the small smile.  He continued, “We could find them.  Get something to show everyone that they are out there.”

Tara shook her head and softly replied, “T-mon, it’s dangerous.”

He gave her his best smile and said, “It’s okay Tara, I’ll protect you!”

Tara rubbed the top of his head, playfully carding her fingers through his hair, “I know, Theomon.  You’re the strongest Digimon, right?”

Theo laughed a bit as he nodded.  Tara sighed and weakly replied, “We can’t go, Theo.”

The youth sighed, “We need to go.  Before Dad has us move.”

Tara stepped away from the door and sadly said, “He’s already taken the job, T-mon.”

Theo walked into Tara’s room as desperation filled his voice, “What?  When?”

Tara replied, “A month.”

Theo shook his head, “I’ve got to go- “

Tara finished the statement, “Talk to Scotty?”

Theo hadn’t considered Scott at the moment but looked down to see his left hand playing with the bracelet on his right wrist.  He slowly copied the words, “Talk to Scotty.”

Tara turned around and stepped up next to him and knelt down, so they were face to face, “Alright, shortstop.  When Dad goes to bed, we can sneak out but make sure Scott is going to be able to see us.  Maybe meet up somewhere close to his house.”

Theo’s eyes lit up, “I’m going to get him to meet us at the park.  You know the one with the creek!  We can meet at the bridge.”

Tara giggled and ran her fingers through his hair, “Alright, shortstop.  Sounds like a plan.  Dad hasn’t cut off the Wi-Fi for the night, so you should be able to send Scott a message.”

Theo nodded slowly, “I’ll make sure of it.”

 

Once their father nodded off on the couch, the TV still playing, the two Raeken kids snuck out the side door in the garage.  It was unseasonably cold that spring night.  Theo shivered as he climbed into his sister’s car.  When she started up the engine, she turned on the heater right away.  She commented, “Are you sure you want to meet Scotty in the park?”

Theo nodded as she backed out of the driveway, making sure to turn on her lights when the car was facing away from the house.  Theo took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of peppermint.  Normally, he didn’t care for it but something about tonight made it special.  He looked out the passenger side window, gazing into the deep, dark, empty sky.  The stars even refused to shine against the bleak darkness.  The sliver of the moon caught his eye.  It was the only star he needed so young Theo made a wish.  He mouthed the words, “Let this work.  When I get my new life.  I want Tara to be with me.”

They parked near the entrance and walked into the park.  Theo took Tara’s hand as they walked, almost skipping because of how happy he was feeling.  He would finally be able to get the new life and protect Tara.  They reached the bridge and Theo guided Tara up to the creek.  The waters babbled as the light cast by the moon reflected the currents off the shiny stones that jutted to the surface. 

Tara squeezed his hand, their fingertips clasped together in the cold before she spoke, her words forming a small cloud, “It’s really cold out tonight.  Are you sure you want to meet Scott here?”

Theo released his hand and looked up to his sister and nodded, “Yeah.  And we can always go somewhere warm after we meet up.”

Theo leaned towards the drop off that led to the water and Tara quickly pulled him back, “T-mon, be careful.  That water is deeper than it looks and it’s freezing cold.”

Theo smirked at his sister, “I know Tara.  I am being careful.”

Tara giggled to herself and Theo was confused by her mirth.  His sister looked happy, like she used to before the Doctors came.  He knew that once he fixed this, they could be happy together, with the Doctors.  She reached into her pocket and pulled out the peppermint lip balm tube.  His eyes lit up and he ran to the bridge.  She called out, “Theo, watch your step.  It’s hard to see in the dark.”

Theo ran to the center of the bridge and looked to his sister as she leaned against the tree on the edge of the bank.  Tara popped the cap off the tube and spoke as she flattened her lips and applied it, “When is Scotty supposed to be here?”

Theo smiled a large smile, “They should be here soon.”

The air was still for a moment as Tara popped the cap back on the balm, “ _They_?”

Theo nodded once, emphatically, “The Doctors!”

Tara’s body shivered as her limbs began to go rigid, “Theo?  Are they here?”

The sounds of metallic clicking filled the air and Theo nodded, “See, they are here.  And I can show them that you won’t mention them to anyone anymore.  That way we can have a new life together!”

Tara struggled to push herself off the tree and slipped along the edge, the mud giving way against her unsteady steps.  She fell into the water and a loud pop was heard when she struck the unforgiving bottom.  Theo watched her shiver, a smile still on his face as the words filled the air, “Good Theo Raeken.”

The young boy looked at his sister, “See.  It worked!”

He saw the fear on Tara’s face as her body sank under the water and resurfaced.  Her sweater clung to her body like her hair as she struggled to speak, “Theo.”

His smile widened as he gazed on her.  He knew his plan could work.  Now the Doctors knew he would do what was needed to protect their secret and his family for their new life.  She shivered, and his smile slowly faded.  He looked to the darkness of the forest and saw the shadows of the figures.  He called out, “Hey.  She’s quiet, like the others.  Can you help me pull her out?”

The words echoed in the empty forest, “KILL TARA RAEKEN!”

Theo froze as he stared at his sister, her face already blue, her shivers beginning to still as she stared up at him.  His heart pounded as his mind screamed at him to do something.  She weakly called out again, “Theo.”

He knew he couldn’t pull her out of the water.  In that moment, it hit him.  The resurrection.  That way she’d know how much they wanted both him and her.  It made sense.

Theo looked at his sister as her movements slowed and stopped.  He whispered, “Just hold on Tara.  It’ll be worth it.”

The Doctors didn’t move until Tara’s stiff form began to slip under the water.  Theo ran towards the Surgeon with a smile on his face, “See.  I did it!”

The Surgeon turned to Theo and pulled a syringe from his pocket.  Theo tilted his head to the right as the Surgeon plunged the needle into his neck and depressed the plunger.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

He blinked his eyes open, the harsh overhead light beating down on him like it had in the past.  He felt that comfortable numbness again.  He felt good again.  He leaned up slightly, noticing that he was strapped to the table but only loosely.  He saw the waves of goosebumps on his chest and knew he should feel cold, but he finally felt normal again.  His new normal.

He looked to his left and saw the metal stand with a large tray.  In the center of it, a deeply red human heart.  He watched the Geneticist pick up the heart and walk it towards the table.  When the doctor moved, he saw Tara’s form.  His sister’s body was a crumpled heap, ribs broken through the mangled sweater, a cavernous hole in the center of her chest.  Her lifeless eyes stared through him.

He stared.  He knew what he should feel.  He should cry, should scream, should want to stop them.  He couldn’t though.  The medication numbed his emotions, but his mind delivered a simple answer, “You did this Theo.  You killed your sister.”

He turned his head and stared at the ceiling as his fragile mind tried to comprehend exactly what he did.  The sharp sting of the scalpel slicing down the center of his chest tried to pull his attention, but the pain was only a reminder.  Theo Raeken was still alive.  Still breathing.  Tara Raeken, his sister, was tossed to the corner, like so many other people that the Doctors used. 

The pressure of fingertips against his chest as he reflected.  He couldn’t protect her.  He couldn’t save her.  Her death.  The Doctors not resurrecting her.  He was the only one that thought he could keep her quiet and that’s what they wanted.  The Doctors never told him to keep her quiet, they told him to kill her, to “KILL TARA RAEKEN”.  The Doctors didn’t lie to him.  The only one who lied was him, to himself, and Tara. 

He felt an unfamiliar itch and burn as the skin that covered his ribs was pulled away.  He took a deep breath as he focused on the pale green glow of the darkened ceiling.  He wanted a new life.  He couldn’t even figure out why he wanted a new life.  His old life wasn’t bad.  His dad yelled a lot and wasn’t the nicest or most honest person, but he loved him.  His mom loved him and took care of him.  Maybe she was a bit too protective at times, keeping him from doing things, but she did it out of love. 

The heavy pressure of hands on his chest shook him from the thought as a whirring sound echoed in the room.  His mind drifted.  He thought of Tara.  She didn’t deserve this.  She loved him.  She teased him and loved to knuckle his scalp, laughing when he stumbled off his board.  But that was another thing, she only laughed when she knew he was alright.  Tara loved him.  She loved him right up until the end.  He betrayed her.

His chest felt hot as the acrid scent caught his nose.  He fought back the cough and swallowed it as the smoke and vibrations rose to his face.  His eyes teared up.  These are his tears now.  Not signs of guilt or remorse but his body defending itself.  His New Life.  Maybe his new life would end as quickly as it begun.

The creaking choppy sounds ended with a powerful crack.  He gasped at the sensation and the feeling of floating.  He felt like there was no pressure against his chest but also colder.  He lifted his head and watched as the Surgeon savagely pulled his ribs apart.  The blood splattered white of the bones, jagged from strong, uncaring hands, splayed open to reveal the rhythmic movements in the center of his chest. 

He felt the tingles to his extremities and laid his head back, swallowing difficultly as he stared at the ceiling.  He deserved to die like this.  Maybe people would forget about him.  Forget about what he did.  No one would remember.  The sick voice in his head whispered a word as the skin from the sack was cut and released with a snap, “ _Scott_.”

Scott wouldn’t care.  Scott didn’t care.  The thoughts even felt like the dirty lies he’d told himself about the Doctors.  He couldn’t feel much of anything as heavy hands choked his breaths into gasps as they pushed against the tissue of his lungs.  Scott wanted him to be happy.  Scott was his best friend.  Scott wanted to skateboard with him, nerd out to Digimon.  Scott gave him the gift from his father.  As The Surgeon wrapped his fingers around his heart, Theo realized he could only feel the struggled pressure and something else.  His wrist.  The shells against his skin.  As the blade cut, blood spraying up from the crime scene of his chest cavity, coldness replaced the numbness as his innocence flowed in silver laced crimson.

 

The loud pounding on his bedroom door pulled Theo from his deep, dreamless sleep.  His dad yelled, “Theo, get up!  You need to get ready.”

Theo jumped out of bed and yanked off his Digimon pajama top.  He felt the center of his chest.  The skin was smooth, unbroken.  He felt the strong beat of the heart in his chest.  He gently snickered to himself as he barged into his bathroom and got cleaned up.  He made sure to take a quick shower, he knew how much Tara hated the cold.  When he stepped out of the shower, he noticed how his mother left a suit hanging on the back of the bathroom door.  He didn’t think anything of it as he got dressed.  He knocked on Tara’s door, “Shower’s free Tara.”

Silence.

He darted towards his door and the crashing silence hit him.  He turned back to the door and inched back before he knocked again, “Tara?”

Silence.

He turned the knob and the room looked like no one had been there for days.  The room didn’t smell right.  Normally it smelled like a fresh infusion of peppermint but now it was stale.  The faded hints barely catching his nose. 

The numbness returned as he walked through Tara’s room and stepped into the hallway.  He saw his mother’s face, red and puffy from tears.  Her clear blue eyes fell on him as she stood at his door.  He tilted his head, the memories distant but the headlight of that train fell on him as he asked, “Mom, where’s Tara?”

His mother ran to him and pulled him into a tight embrace as the train struck and he remembered everything.  She whispered as she stroked his messy locks, cradling his head, “I’m so sorry, Baby.  Tara’s gone to a better place.”

_His sister’s body was a crumpled heap, ribs broken through the mangled sweater, a cavernous hole in the center of her chest.  Her lifeless eyes stared through him._

Theo barely mumbled out the weak and pathetic words, “Better place?”

Time warped and his vision swam until it blurred into a single pinpoint of light.

The next thing he knew, he was standing in front of her casket.  His mother had commented that they needed to have it open to show how beautiful she was. 

Theo gasped in horror, the thin sweater draped around her cracked ribs and rotting cavity.  Her face locked in the gasp of fear, eyes staring into oblivion.  He looked around and no one else seemed to notice.  Another gift from the Doctors.

There were crowds of people, head to toe black, crying, talking, holding each other.  He didn’t recognize most of the people nor did he try.  The wall of black, the polished deep brown, wooden casket, the scent of freshly turned earth.  This was her life or the end of it.  The last memory of Tara.  Except the beating of his heart disagreed.

He stumbled away from the casket and ran to his mom, clinging to her like a child many years his junior.  He buried his face into her black dress, the tears he shouldn’t be able to produce flowing, his sorrow and remorse he shouldn’t know overwhelming him.

As the casket was closed and lowered he watched it, tears lining his face.  His mind flashed to her faded and rotting hand reaching from the grave to grab him.  He quickly shook his head as the crowds moved from the grave and talked. 

He stood alone, his mother and father speaking to other adults, and thought about how this all happened.  He killed Tara for the Doctors.  He wanted the New Life they offered and didn’t realize what it was until too late.  He felt like he should tell his parents everything, but he’d tried that in the past.  They didn’t believe him, they never believed him. 

Another tear rolled down his face.  He thought about the move and how maybe he could get away from this.  He’d never forget what he did, but he didn’t have to continue.  Still, a part of him wanted to be around the Doctors.  They killed people, but they accepted him.  Someone powerful and knowledgeable accepted him for who he was.  He liked that feeling. 

Scott walked up to him, in a black suit that looked a little too small.  His gentle voice flowed, “I’m sorry about what happened to Tara.”

Theo only mustered a weak, “Yeah.”

Scott pushed his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels as he asked, “Do you want to come over to my house later?”

Theo continued to stare at the space that the casket once occupied, “Can’t.  Gotta get my stuff ready for the move.”

Scott’s eyes widened, “You’re moving???”

Theo’s dead voice answered, “Yeah.  Dad moved up the date.”

Scott pleaded for an answer, “When?”

Theo barely shifted his head and met those chocolate eyes, “Tomorrow.  The movers are probably already at our house.”

Scott wrapped his arms around Theo and he could feel the scratch of the shells against his wrist, under his long sleeve button up.  Scott pulled Theo’s unmoving body tight, leaning the side of his head against the top of Theo’s, “I’m going to miss you Theo.  Don’t lose touch.”

Theo muttered, “Yeah.”  After a long pause, “You too, Scott.”

 

Boxes.  People packing away what life he knew.  His own bags.  Filled bags with clothes.  His backpack filled with the items he wanted to keep with him.  He stared at the jar on his desk and tossed it into the empty plastic waste bin, shattering it.  Another sign of his mistake.

They bounced between relative’s homes to temporary lodging and ended up staying in a furnished cottage in the woods while they waited on the final finishing touches of their new home. 

The small wooden cabin seemed to be completely separate from the rest of the world.  The furnishings were sparse and the only room to have a tv was the living room.  The entire home was themed with wooden furniture to include the pelt coverings over the chairs, the fur style blanket over the back cushions of the otherwise polished wooden couch. 

His room was small with a tiny desk, a full-sized bed that seemed massive for his shorter frame and more than enough storage with the closet and dresser.  He finally unpacked his bags, refusing to do so until they were going to stay somewhere somewhat permanent. 

He felt the itch when they made it to the cabin.  His comfortable numbness was replaced with a more taxing emotional vacancy.  He craved the good medicine but knew he wouldn’t do anything to try to get it.  His parents had done something that he couldn’t do.  They protected the family, or what remained, from the Doctors.

He struggled against the pain, pushing his drive to be the son they should have, not the monster that killed his sister.  He owed her.  He couldn’t let himself crumble, he had to live and live well so that at the very least, she didn’t die for no reason.

He spent time with his parents, slowly the three overcame the crushing part of grief and began to heal as a family.  They watched tv together most nights, the tv dinner stands in front of them as they ate at the couch.  They’d never done this before but for now, it seemed right.  His dad eating to his left while his mom lovingly elbowing him to eat his vegetables to his right. 

The show ended, and the credits rolled as he finished his dinner, a steamed chicken breast, mashed potatoes and green beans.  He slid out from his warm spot on the couch and grabbed his plate and utensils.  He looked to his parent’s empty plates before he addressed them, “Mom?  Dad?  Are you finished?  I can take them and clean the dishes if you are.”

His dad smiled at him and handed him the plate with flatware on top while his mother laughed a little.  She was smiling.  She hadn’t smiled since before they left Beacon Hills.  She put her flatware on the top plate and helped him stack them in his hands to carry them.  She said, “Thank you Theo.”

He nodded with a smile and carried the plates into the kitchen and set them in the open side of the sink.  He stared out the window in front of the sink and admired the darkness that fell over the trees.  He pushed the step stool from next to the large, older fridge that looked like a 60s model and set it in front of the sink.  He started to fill the basin and add soap to clean the dishes by hand.  He looked back into the darkness, the separate trees outlined by the faint light the moon gave off.  As he cleaned a plate he continued to stare into the darkness.  He could’ve sworn he saw a figure move outside.  A deer maybe.

He focused on the plates, making sure they were cleaned and rinsed before he set them on the strainer to dry.  When he picked up a fork, he looked out the window and saw the outlines of three figures.  The sounds of clicking and machinery entered his mind.  He quickly squeezed his eyes shut, the feeling of nausea blossoming in his stomach and he whispered, “It’s not real.  They aren’t here.”  He dropped the fork into the empty sink which tinged loudly as it bounced around.

His mother called out, “Theo?  Is everything alright?”

Theo opened his eyes with a sigh as the forest appeared empty again and the sounds ended as quickly as they began.  He answered, a bit unsure, “Y-Yeah.  Just dropped a fork.”

His dad called out, “If you finish soon, we can watch one more show before you get ready for bed, sport.”

He heard the smile in his dad’s voice and answered with a bit of faltered enthusiasm, “Thanks dad.  I’ll finish up soon.”

His hands shook as he cleaned the utensils and he lost his grip of the knife which sliced down the center of his palm.  The wooden handle dully thudded as he watched the line of red appear.  The single drop of blood flowed before the line disappeared.  His eyes widened as he tilted his open hand and the drop of blood rolled down the side and dripped to the sink. 

When it hit, the splatter of red awoke something deep inside.  His head throbbed, and he grabbed it, squeezing his eyes shut, as he stumbled off the stool, barely catching himself.  He smelled the over powering iron scent, the scent he knew from the surgery, the scent of blood.  He tasted it in the air and his mouth filled with saliva.

When he opened his eyes, his vision was tainted with red, the wavy outlines of the things around him clouded by a sea of crimson.  He heard the beats, the blood flowing through not only his body but his parents as well.  He smelled the fear.  The thick waves that floated from him but also the slightly sweeter fragrance from the living room.

The anger grew in his chest.  The heat travelled to his limbs and he heard the pops of his limbs and his jaws screamed in pain.  He sucked in breaths from the new-found pain that rocked his body.  He held his hands out and saw the vicious curve of the claws that replaced his nails.  He reached up with his right hand and felt the fangs that descended, filling his mouth with rage.  His mother once again called, “Theo.  Is everything alright?”

He gave a guttural answer, slurred by his new teeth, “Yeah.  Mom.”

He caught the scents change as he took a few steps towards the living room.  He heard the movement, the shift of the dinner tray and the creak of the couch as someone stood.  He made it to the doorway and his mother stood in front of him, next to the side table with the large glass lamp.

He looked up at her eyes and hoped he would see the love from his mother.  The red vision highlighted her brightly, and burned the look of sheer horror as she gasped and stumbled backwards, staring at the monster that replaced her son.  He couldn’t hold back the rage; the fractured dam couldn’t contain his emotions as he grabbed the lamp and shattered it into the side of his mother’s face.  The shards flew as the bulb went out, the cracked remains showering the floor with glass as she fell to the floor.

The spice of rage caught his nose as he heard the shuffle of the dinner tray and turned his sights on the still sitting figure of his father.  Theo threw himself towards his father, shifting in air, before he slammed his palms against Jonathan’s chest, straddling his legs.  He looked to his right claw as he raised it and quickly brought it down, slashing into his father’s chest.  The skin and fabric gave way as the spurts of warm, rich blood sprayed as he alternated between right and left claw, tearing apart his father’s chest and neck.  He could taste it as the fan of blood speckled his face.

His sensitive nose caught the scent of smoldering as the energized cord from the lamp sparked a fire on the bear hide rug that the couch and side tables sat on.  He pulled away from the soaked mush of tissue that remained of his father’s chest and neck.  He heard the shuffle and looked to his mother who began to sob when his eyes fell on her.

She pleaded, her voice cracked with sorrow, “Please.  Theo.  Stop.  We love you.”

The weak words were muffled by the beast within as he stalked towards her.  She pushed herself back, her hands moving to protect her face, still adored with shards of glass.  He couldn’t fight back against the beast’s snarl of pride as the flames of the rug shot up the back of the couch. 

He knelt beside his mother, locking eyes with her.  He could smell her fear.  He could hear that relentless heartbeat.  He craved the silence, the numb emptiness.  He flashed his fangs in a feral smile as he slowly reached forward with his blood dripping right claw.  Her hands grabbed his wrist weakly as he continued to push until those claws wrapped around her neck. 

He felt the movement of air and her pulse under the skin as smoke began to line the top of the cabin.  She once again pleaded through coughs, her voice weak from the fear and his grip, “Theo.  Stop.”

Saliva began to drip from his mouth, a single drop travelling down his chin and hanging loosely before it fell to the floor.  He tightened his grip and clenched his teeth, her face going red, eyes locked in horror, until the fragile, weak tissue gave way and the spray of blood hit his face.  He tore the ichor away as he stood, his eyes locked to the almost gel-like covering over his claws.  He brought the claw to his lips and tasted the rich iron.

Theo turned back towards the couch and saw the flames covering his father’s body and instantly smelled the cooking hair and flesh.

His animalistic sense of survival overwhelmed the bloodlust and he looked to the door.  He moved towards it in a haze and caught the look of himself in the mirror on the wall next to the door.  The red tint to his vision faded and the colors of life returned.  His eyes glowed the most menacing gold, his soft face flecked with blood around his cheeks, but his vicious maw covered with the fluid.  His normally vibrant hair was matted to his head with rapidly drying blood.  He raised his hands and saw the crimson fluid that covered his skin. 

He was the monster.

This is his new life.

He didn’t know how long he stared or when the tears began to flow but the thick black smoke began to choke him.  He rushed for the door and threw it open as his hiccupped through his tears.

When he gazed into the open area at the front of the cabin the three figures stood there.  The flames from the cabin illuminated them in oranges and yellow, casting his shadow across them.  He snarled at the Doctors.  He had nothing but loss and rage to anchor and those forces were the winds to his sails, poorly equipped to be anchors. 

Their words echoed in his mind, “THEO RAEKEN, SUCCESS”

 

Success.  Another small word.  But he was a small boy.  A small boy that craved approval.  Approval that couldn’t be provided by the corpse of a family he left behind. 

He raised his arms and ran towards the Surgeon.  When he reached the Doctor, who opened his arms as he leaned against the cane, he wrapped his arms around the Doctor’s torso and cried against his chest.  He sobbed loudly, “I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean to.”

The Doctor placed those heavy gloves on his shoulders as he screamed into the Surgeon’s chest, “I’M SORRY.  I DIDN’T MEAN TO.”

 

He sobbed loudly, sucking in breaths as he clung tighter.  He took a deep breath and something struck Theo as being off.  The cold, mechanical scent was replaced with the warm spicy scent.   The scent of memories long past but painfully present.  The scent of chocolate eyes and inviting smiles.  The scent of the strong chest that pulled him into it as the man’s head rested against the top of his.  He muttered one last, “I’m so sorry.”

His waking mind caught up and he recoiled, pushing himself away from the embrace, the cold chill of the vet’s clinic breezing across his naked chest.  He opened his eyes and instinctually wiped away the tears as his vision came into focus.  Those eyes fell on him, not with pity, not with anger, nor fear, but concern.  The same look from all those years ago.  He weakly asked, his words filled with disbelief, “Scott?  What are you doing here?”

The brown eyed alpha stood from his seat on the cot and lightly remarked, “I was in town and came by to see you.”

The lie was weak.  The obvious lie.  He narrowed his eyes, his emotions too raw to trust the anger that boiled deep within his gut.  Deaton calmly stated from the edge of his desk, “I must apologize, Theodore.  I added a mild sedative to your treatment.  I thought that you could use the uninhibited sleep.  I didn’t realize you would be unconscious for this long.”

Theo blinked away the haze and looked at himself, only clad in his boxer briefs, his clothes cleaned and folded next to the green cot.  Scott standing over him in the emissary’s office, wearing a UC Davis gold and blue aggies t shirt and khaki cargo shorts.  Deaton, watching him from the somewhat cluttered desk, the familiar white coat present.

Theo waved dismissively to Deaton, “It’s fine.  I shouldn’t have worried you.”

Deaton chuckled, “What makes you think you worried me?”

The chimera smirked as he replied, “You called Scott.”

Scott glanced back to his former boss, “He’s got you there, Deaton.”

Alan shrugged and said, “Well, the sandwiches didn’t make it to the lacrosse team, but I should probably take them out of the fridge and place them in the box.  I’m certain you can find someone who could enjoy them.”

Deaton stepped out of the room and closed the door.

Scott took a deep breath and floated the question, the one Theo didn’t want to answer, “Before you woke up, you sobbed, “I’m so sorry.  I didn’t mean to.”  Who were you talking to?”

Theo clinched his hands tight as he leaned forward and stared at the olive-green cot just past his knees.  He felt the cut of the shells and tightened his grip until the sharp edge caught.  While he was rested, his body and mind were still weak, his defenses down.  He couldn’t stop himself as the answer freed itself quietly, “The Dread Doctors.  Just after I killed my parents.”

Scott knelt, trying to meet the gaze of the chimera, “You killed your parents?”

Theo took in a deep breath, his chin trembling as he answered, “Yeah.  Just like I killed Tara.  For them.  For a new life.”

Scott lowered his head briefly before he remarked with a hint of fear, “You’re bleeding!”  The true alpha grabbed Theo’s right hand and forced the fingers open, the frame of crimson tinting his skin and coloring the white shell fragments.  Scott gasped, “You still have that?”

Theo nodded slowly, “I kept it until the last move.  I lost it there.  Alan found it.” 

Scott scrunched his brow and asked, fear stepping into his voice, “Why did you keep them?  I thought you wanted to kill me.”

Theo bit into his cheek.  He felt weak, felt like he should run out the door.  He didn’t want to answer the question.  He didn’t want that last bit of himself exposed.  That last clue that he was truly as pathetic as he was back in fourth grade.  His mouth moved, releasing a soft but terrible truth.  “You were it, Scotty.  You were the last step to killing my old life, killing the Theo Raeken from Beacon Hills.  If I would’ve succeeded, I could’ve gained everything, gained the life I thought I wanted.”

The words sat heavy in the room, bogging down their thoughts before Scott lifted it with a single question, “What was wrong with your old life?”

Theo took a deep breath, trying to figure out an answer to the question.  An answer he hadn’t really thought about in years.  The chimera looked to Scott and weakly smiled, “I never taught you how to kickflip.”


End file.
